Awesome, got my first shoulder injury today

I was playing for about an hour, and right after a I made a backhand slice, my right (upper) shoulder got stabbed with a sharp pain. Being an idiot, I decided to keep playing despite the pain. Everytime I hit a forehand, my shoulder would hurt like hell. After about 10 minutes the pain went away and I continued to play as if nothing happened.

So...what exactly happened? I've been playing for about 5 years and the only tennis related injuries I had were twisted ankles because of careless running over balls.

So the pain went away, correct. Was it a mishit. I sometimes get a stab of pain , if i am serving and i shank/mishit. Goes away....

Check the threads on shoulder injuries, and rotator cuff.

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It wasn't a mishit. I felt the ball hit the sweetspot of my racquet.

I just don't understand WHY this had to happen. I've been playing for roughly 5 years, I lift weights and have never received any injuries whatsoever. Its like my body decided to give me pain just for the hell of it.

I'd say I spend a decent amount of time working my shoulders. Apparently not though, so I guess I'll have to focus on them more.

Basically: Ice + weights should make me well. Thanks.

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No, not like that. Ice is for recovery and when you no longer feel pain, weights are for strengthening your glenohumeral joint. You don't do both at the same time. Hold off on the weights for a few weeks.

I lift weights and have never received any injuries whatsoever. Its like my body decided to give me pain just for the hell of it.

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It could be a muscle imbalance due to lifting weights. Front part of shoulder weaker than back part.
Please google and see what exercises are bad (to be avoided) for shoulder and what are good. There are many pages. e.g. lateral (side) raises are not good. Several overhead exercises are also not recommended.

It could be a muscle imbalance due to lifting weights. Front part of shoulder weaker than back part.
Please google and see what exercises are bad (to be avoided) for shoulder and what are good. There are many pages. e.g. lateral (side) raises are not good. Several overhead exercises are also not recommended.

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What I'm doing that is considered bad according to one site: Bench press (just need to adjust the technique, that's all), Military press, lateral raise/side raise.

So I just have to avoid MP + LR + SR, and adjust the technique of the bench press?

Since I'm here, I might as well pose another health related question. Over the past few weeks, after playing multiple hours of tennis on a daily basis, I'm starting to notice that in the end my bicep/elbow feel....weak...dead. I never had that problem when I played with synthetic gut/multi strings. I switched to full poly sometime in February, and never played with anything else. Now, I'm ASSUMING its the full poly set-up in my racquet (@ 60 lbs). I have no actual evidence, and the arm discomfort could be based on something else. I ordered some hybrids several days and want to experiment to see if my arm will feel better.

But what do you think? Muscle imbalance or is the poly starting to get to me?

Pain is a message your body sends you, and the message is not "work me even harder." Sharp pains and neuromuscular deadness are not the same as routine minor aches. Lay off tennis and get yourself some proper help.

Sometime you just trap/pinch a nerve/tendon and it slowly works itself out over a few rallies. It's happened to me in the past

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A pinched nerve is much less common than a muscle strain. Many people mistake strained muscles for pinched nerves because a muscle spasm feels a shock that people believe are their nerves being compressed. Don't take a chance on trying to loosen up that injury site and ice it instead.